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Lavrov and Pompeo discuss North Korea

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L)in Pyongyang on May 31, 2018, ahead of a landmark summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart Mike Pompeo have discussed North Korea by phone less than a week after a historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Moscow said Monday. Lavrov and US Secretary of State Pompeo discussed the "task of consolidating efforts towards a solution to problems of the Korean peninsula," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on its website. The exchange comes six days after Trump and Kim made history held a summit in Singapore in an unprecedented encounter that saw the two leaders shake hands. The Kremlin welcomed the meeting, with President Vladimir Putin saying it was "without doubt just the first step towards a full-blown settlement." "Thanks to this meeting a possible negative scenario has been cast aside," Putin said. On Thursday the Russian leader reiterated a invitation for Kim Jong Un to visit Russia as he was hosting North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam. Putin said he would be happy to welcome Kim to Russia, suggesting they meet during an economic forum in the far eastern port city of Vladivostok this September. Lavrov and Pompeo also discussed "the calendar of political contacts between Russia and the US in the near future," according to the foreign ministry statement. On June 10, Putin said he was ready to meet his US counterpart as soon as Washington was ready, adding Vienna could be a possible venue for such a summit. The last, brief meeting between Putin and Trump took place in November 2017 in Vietnam during an APEC leaders summit.